Attack on Deadman
by FinalFlashX
Summary: After the capture of the Female Titan, the government gets a disturbing wake-up call. The Titan threat is closer to home than they thought. Now, in order to help combat the encroaching Titan invasion they release their last trump card: the inmates of Deadman Wonderland. With the help of the powerful super-humans known as Deadmen, can the Survey Corps finally turn back the Titans?
1. Prologue: Humanity's Secret Weapon

**Prologue: Humanity's Secret Weapon…the Deadmen!**

The smallest trace of a grimace formed across Levi's otherwise stoic face as he and Commander Erwin stood outside a large set of oak doors. A twinge of pain shot up from his sprained ankle, but the Survey Corps captain shook it off with a thought as his deadpan eyes continued to try and bore a hole through the door.

"And people say I'm rude," he said with a hint of disgust.

"Patience, Levi," the ever-calm Erwin simply stated. "They are attempting to demonstrate their power by keeping us waiting. It's an elementary negotiation tactic."

"Even so, I'm not sure why they summoned me as well," Levi said. "I understand these pompous asses' wanting to shriek at you for the hundredth time about the Leonhart incident. I, on the other-hand, have better things to do with my time than listen to a group of morons rambling on and on about matters they can't comprehend."

"I hope I'm not one of those 'morons' you're referring to, Levi," Erwin said with a small smile. The black-haired man gave his superior a small glance before returning his gaze back to the doors.

"All I'm saying is they better be quick about it, whatever it is."

The duo stood in silence for a few more minutes as the ruler of the Stohess District continued to keep them waiting. Finally, the wooden doors creaked open and a petite woman who wore the insignia of the Military Police came out before shutting the doors behind her. Levi noted the pile of reports clutched in her arms as the she rushed past the two Survey Corps members and down the corridor. He wondered briefly what kind of reports she could possibly have that had taken so long to retrieve. It wasn't difficult to take a few leafs of paper after all. With a mental shrug, Levi completely dismissed the girl from his mind as he and Erwin were ushered inside.

It was an extremely dim-lit room, with the curtains of the window having been drawn shut leaving the only source of light to be a few candles spread throughout the room. Another unusual thing was that the large wooden table was almost completely vacant. There was in fact only one person seated at the table, the Ruling Noble of the Stohess District: Johan Klaus. This was in stark contrast to how the large, meeting room was usually presented. Normally, the mahogany table was overflowing with officials, magistrates, priests, and nobles all trying to show off how important they were. Today however, only Klaus and his top assistants were present.

"I like the new décor," Levi said, letting his voice carry across the room, "very cloak and dagger. It's nice to get some breathing room in here for a change too. It's usually like a pig sty in here."

"Yes, go ahead and get all of your little comments out," said the annoyed noble with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Erwin, we have a matter of grave importance to discuss. I would appreciate it if your subordinates would control himself."

Casting a glance over to his right-hand man, the tall, blonde man arched his eyebrows in a form of non-verbal question. Levi returned his commander's stone cold gaze with one of his own before giving him a small shrug of his shoulders. Without even a look to the noble at the head of the table, the captain walked to one of the chairs and swiftly sat down. While his comrade crossed his legs and draped his arms across the back of his chair, Erwin sat down at the end of the table, directly across from the nobleman.

"You requested that we come to see you here, Lord Klaus," the blonde commander said. "Just now you claimed it was an urgent matter. What is it? News regarding the Titans discovered inside of Wall Sina?"

The ruler of Stohess visibly blanched at the mention of the disturbing discovery. Thankfully, it seemed as if only military personal had witnessed the Titan inside of the crevice created by the Female Titan and the hole had been covered up swiftly. However, the incident had still caused quite a stir in higher up circles. In fact, this new revelation along with the discovery of a Titan Shifter amongst their own had led to this decision to take such…drastic measures.

"No…nothing about that," the balding man responded. "No, this is about some potential new allies for you in the Survey Corps, Commander Erwin."

"New allies?" asked Erwin in his steady and calm voice without a hint of curiosity or surprise to be found in it.

"Nothing ever fazes you does it, Commander," Klaus said with a small sigh. "Yes, it seems that the higher-ups have decided that with all these new threats and developments, the Survey Corps could use some new blood in it. First though, tell me Commander Erwin, have you ever heard of a place called, Deadman Wonderland?"

Erwin's eyes immediately darted over to Levi when he heard the name. Humanity's Strongest Warrior hadn't paying any attention up until that point, with his head turned away from the nobleman and his emotionless gaze resting on the royal flag that was hung above the entry-way. Now though, a flicker of recognition could be seen in the dark-haired man's eyes and Levi's gaze slowly shifted over to the nobleman.

"Yes," Erwin replied. "It's a prison located inside the capital, where all of the worst criminals within the walls are held. Above it is the more well-known Coliseum, where prisoners are pitted against each other in battle for the entertainment of the nobles and citizens of the capital. I believe that the revenue earned from gambling and admission there is the highest source of revenue for the government in fact."

"Um, yes…quite right," said Klaus, beads of sweat beginning to drip down his forehead thanks to the unnerving glare that Levi was giving him.

"Are you suggesting that our new recruits will be the prisoners from Deadman Wonderland?" asked Erwin.

"No, no, don't be preposterous!" the noble quickly exclaimed. "The men imprisoned there are scum without any valuable skills or assets. They're simply breathing trash! They could never learn to operate the 3D Maneuver Gear and would be of no use against the Titans."

"Plus, we wouldn't want you nobleman to lose your favorite form of entertainment, now would we," stated Levi.

Lord Klaus turned his gaze back to the dark-haired captain. Even though his words had been said with such calm, the nobleman still felt a burning sensation on the back of his neck as he heard them. As he looked into the man's deadpan eyes, they revealed no emotion from the Survey Corps member, and yet Klaus swore that a raging fire seemed to be in them. Yet when he looked again, Levi's face was the same emotionless mask he always wore.

"Then, if prisoners are not being conscripted into the Survey Corps," Commander Erwin said, breaking the tension and silence in the room, "why do you bring up Deadman Wonderland, Lord Klaus?"

"Well, even though the normal prisoners of Deadman Wonderland well be of no use, there are a few…_special _cases that could prove to be extremely valuable in the war against the Titans," answered Klaus quickly, happy for the excuse to ignore Levi's scathing words.

Erwin cocked an eyebrow at the nobleman, signaling his unasked question. He had never heard any rumors about the prison that resembled anything like what Klaus was vaguely referencing to now. There had only ever been one interesting case that he had ever learned about that prison, but besides that it was simply a disgusting symbol of humanity at its worst. What could the government possibly be hiding there?

The noble opened his mouth to continue, but to his surprise, he was cut off before he could even utter a syllable.

"You mean the Deadmen, right," stated Levi matter-of-factly.

Klaus' eyes widen with shock and his mouth opened slightly in horror as he heard the other man's words. The question he was asking himself was advent to everyone present in the room, the stunned expression on his face was a dead give-away. _How the hell does he know that!?_

Levi's dispassionate exterior never changed as he read the man's face. Surmising from the man's surprise that he was correct, the captain turned to face his commanding officer. A small scowl twitched around his lips as he addressed Erwin.

"Seems that since we're in charge of babysitting one freak, they're going to dump all of them on us, Erwin."

"What do you mean, Levi?" the blonde man asked. "What exactly are these 'Deadmen'?"

"They're humans who have the ability to use their own blood as a weapon," answered Levi. "Deadmen are the primary combatants of the Coliseum's biggest 'event': Carnival Corpse. Where only the best fighters-mostly Deadmen-compete in death battles for the entertainment of the swine who call themselves 'noble'."

A small look of astonishment spread across Erwin's face as he listened to his subordinates account. It was almost unbelievable to imagine that there were such individuals, but the Survey Corps Commander had met several people capable of transforming themselves into Titans. He wasn't ever going to label anything as impossible after that.

"Are these the special cases you were referring to, Lord Klaus?" asked Erwin, turning to face the aristocrat.

The nobleman nodded his head. "Because of their abilities, they are kept out of the public eye. Only the noble families and select high-ranking government officials even know of their existence. I wasn't aware that you knew though, Captain Levi."

Levi simply cast a glare at Stohess' ruler before turning his attention back to Erwin. The blonde leader of the Survey Corps has his elbows propped on the table top and his hands clasped together in front of his face. It was a stance Levi had seen his general take many times before, whenever he was attempting to devise a plan.

"Levi," Erwin finally said. "Could these Deadmen really be an asset in the fight against Titans?"

"Sure," he replied. "All of them have a screw or two lose upstairs, but it's nothing we haven't handled before. They share many of the same problems as Eren: undisciplined, stupid, hot-headed. Also like Eren though, their abilities outweigh the headache of having to keep them in check."

Erwin nodded as he unclasped his hands and leaned back slightly in his chair. A small smile graced his lips, the only sign of his immense pleasure at this newest revelation. This could be exactly what humanity needed to help beat back the Titan threat.

"Excellent, now what exactly can you tell me about their abilities specifically? Like how…"

"That's quite enough, Commander Smith."

Both men turned their blank faces towards the noble at the head of the table. Klaus wore an annoyed and angry expression on his face as he addressed the two men.

"You two seem to be under the wrong impression. This is not a reward or a token of the monarchy's gratitude for your exemplary service. Oh no, no this is in fact a punishment. You see, this incident here in Stohess has shown us that the Survey Corps has forgotten its place and over-stepped its boundaries."

Erwin opened his mouth to respond to the nobles' assertions, but Klaus raised his hand to halt him before continuing.

"So while the Deadmen well be working side-by-side with the Survey Corps, they will not actually be under your command, Erwin. In fact, they will be under the command of a special detachment of the Military Police to ensure that you behave yourself."

Silence fell over the room as the two officers let the reprimand wash over them. So it seemed that the government wasn't attempting to help their cause after all, but instead was trying to hinder it. Erwin quickly accepted this fact, but also realized he could still use this to help his own cause. Even if they were there to keep an eye on him and his men, there would still be a contingent of highly trained Military Police and humans with super powers forced out to the front lines to help combat the Titans.

"If I may ask, Lord Klaus," said the Commander, not allowing the news to faze him in the slightest, "who exactly will be commanding this force then?"

"That would be me," answered a forceful, yet feminine voice.

The two leaders of the Survey Corps turned towards the entrance of the room. Standing inside of the now opened doorway was a tall, very attractive woman. Her long, dark-brown hair was kept in her green beret, except for one lock of hair that framed the right side of her face She was adorned in the typical uniform of the Military Police, except that besides the typical MP insignia of a green unicorn on the left breast of her brown jacket, there was also another emblem on the right side: a blood red shield with the capital letters "**DW**" inside.

"Makina," Erwin said a hint of surprise in his voice. Levi shot a quick glance over at his superior. It was unlike the man to ever be rattled by anything, much less by a single woman.

"Erwin, good to see you again," said Makina with a small smile. "I haven't seen you in ages. Glad to see you're still in one piece, I know that's a problem for you boys in the Survey Corps."

"Better than cowering behind the walls, stuffing yourselves fat, and then wetting yourself whenever you're forced to perform your duty," snapped back Levi. Even though his face was emotionless as ever, his words betrayed his anger at the Military Police's hypocrisy.

"Ah yes, Levi Ackerman," said the woman as she turned her gaze towards the shorter man. The smile she had worn earlier had fallen away and all that remained was the face of a harsh, stone-cold enforcer. "Keeping yourself out of trouble I hope."

The dark-haired warrior opened his mouth to quip back, but he stopped himself when he saw Erwin raise his hand. Standing up, the tall, blonde commander moved to stand beside Makina before extending his hand out to her.

"It is good to see you again as well, Captain Makina," he said. "I look forward to working with you."

The lady of war eyed the commander for a few moments before shaking his hand. Another smile graced her lips as she said.

"Likewise. It will be just like old times."

"It's good to see that you two are playing nice," said Klaus as he watched the two officers break off their handshake. "Hopefully, this union will benefit everyone and the Survey Corps can stick to what they do best. Now, Erwin, you and your men will remain here until your formal disciplinary hearing for the Leonhart incident in two days. Will that be enough time for you to ready your team, Captain Makina?"

"Yes milord," she answered. "We'll have all the Deadmen and my squad ready to move out by then. Though, I have already sent ahead several of my men to the location where several of the Survey Corps members are staying."

"Why's that?" questioned Levi. "Couldn't wait to start spying on us?"

Makina simply shot a fake smile at the dark-haired man. "Just want them to be able to get a head start on becoming friendly with everyone is all."

"That location is where we are keeping members that we believe may be accomplices of Annie Leonhart, Captain Makina," Erwin swiftly stated. "I hope that by sending your men there, you don't tip them off to our suspicions."

"Not at all," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I actually sent them there because of that very reason. If enemies of the state are in fact there, it would be best to have some added security to make sure they don't escape. Don't fret about it, Erwin. I sent a team of my best men along with the three Deadmen that actually know how to use the 3D Maneuver Gear. They'll be of assistance, I guarantee it."

"Sounds like a reasonable plan to me," said Lord Klaus, putting an end to the discussion. "Commander Erwin, debrief your men and tell them that you are going to be working with a Special Task Force and nothing else. Obviously, you'll swear them to secrecy. This can't get out to public after all. Makina, I would like you to stay here and discuss some of the logistics with me. You two are dismissed, and Erwin, I'll see you back here for your disciplinary hearing in two days."

Erwin stood and saluted the nobleman while Levi simply rolled his eyes and walked out the door. His superior was quick to follow him out and the pair of Survey Corps made their way down the corridor to go debrief their men. They were both silent as they walked. There was no reason for them to exchange words, they both knew the gravity of the news they had just received.

The game had completely changed once again.

* * *

><p><em>At The Exact Same Time:<em>

Mike stood on the roof of the Survey Corps compound near Wall Rose, staring with widened eyes at the scene before him. His expression was a mixture of awe, horror, shock, and bewilderment. He simply couldn't believe what his eyes were telling him. It was impossible. No single man could cause slay a Titan with that little effort and with such destructive force. Not even Captain Levi was capable of such a feat!

Just a second ago, a Titan had been bearing down on him, lunging with its wide, disgusting mouth in attempt to swallow him whole. The experienced Survey Corps member had been able to narrowly escape death, but when he turned around to deliver the killing blow to his attacker, he had discovered there was no need. The monstrous giant had fallen to the ground, dead…cleaved in half by what appeared to be a single, master stroke.

Looking up from the Titan's carcass, Mike was surprised to see that a tall man with spiked, black hair now stood before him. The man's back was turned to him, but the emblem of the Garrison -two red roses inside of a silver kite shield-imprinted on the back of his long, black trench coat marked him as an ally. However, there was something off about this guy. What was a member of the Garrison doing all the way out here? And wait…WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE THINGS ON HIS ARMS!

"Heh, heh, dead center," laughed the man before turning his head to look at the terrified Survey Corps member. A wicked grin was plastered across the man's face, almost reaching all the way to the black eye-patch that covered his right eye, which also had a small tattoo etched above the eyebrow. However, none of these disturbing features were the ones that Mike's eyes were glued to. No, that distinct honor belonging to the vicious-looking, blood red, blades that were protruding out of the man's forearms!

"I love this new gig," Senji Kiyomasa said with a cocky smirk. "I might finally be able to get a half-way decent work-out now!"

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of **_**Attack on Deadman**_**! As you can see, this is a crossover where the characters and some of the plot elements from **_**Deadman Wonderland **_**have been incorporated into the **_**Attack on Titan**_** universe. I absolutely love both of these series and I actually read them both at the same time and they both just seemed to click with each other and I thought to myself, "Hey, I can make a pretty cool story by combining these two!" Then I was shocked to find out that no one had ever made a crossover between these two series and I figured I might as well be the first. Special thanks have to go out to Roseblade22, who was patient enough to listen to my fledgling ideas for this story and helped push me to actually writing it. **

**I promise this will be the longest A/N I ever leave in the chapters, but I did think it was important that I sort of explain what sort of expectations you can have regarding what from each series you'll see in this story. Basically, I'll be using characters and plot points from **_**Deadman Wonderland**_** to explain many of the questions that haven't been answered yet in the **_**Attack on Titan**_** universe. Like: Where did the Titans come from? What's in the basement? What's the deal with Titan Shifters? Etc. So, the plot will be completely **_**Attack on Titan**_** and the story will take place completely in that universe. All of the **_**Deadman Wonderland**_** characters will be incorporated into the **_**Attack on Titan**_** universe and while their backgrounds and personalities will remain mostly the same, they'll be tweaked slightly to fit this setting better. I was really surprised while developing the story on how well the characters fit into the universe and how well the abilities and powers fit together and how easy it would be to explain certain things by using both stories. As far as knowledge of the series goes, you really will need more knowledge of **_**Attack on Titan**_** than you will **_**Deadman Wonderland**_** since we'll be following the plot of **_**Attack on Titan**_**. Of course, it would be best if you had completed **_**Deadman Wonderland**_** and were completely caught up with **_**Attack on Titan's**_** manga because there WILL be spoilers for both series in this story, though there will be many more **_**Attack on Titan**_** spoilers than **_**Deadman Wonderland**_** ones. If you've only seen all of the anime of **_**Attack on Titan**_**, you will still be able to follow along because that's where the story begins at, but you will be spoiled to the future storyline because that is what this story will cover. **

**I hope that you will be willing to experience this fun ride with me! Again thanks for reading, and I would leave to hear from you in the form of a review or a PM about your thoughts on the story, on **_**Attack on Titan**_** or **_**Deadman Wonderland**_**, how you believe the story will progress, how the characters from the different universes will interact with each other, and anything else you have to say I'm more than willing to listen! Until next time! **


	2. Chapter 1: The Fall of Senji Kiyomasa

**Chapter 1: The Fall of Senji Kiyomasa**

"_Read em' and weep, boys!" exclaimed Senji as he threw down the full house held in his hands. The three other men seated at the small, round table let out exasperated groans as they saw the playing cards, throwing their own onto the table in disgust. The spiky-haired man cackled as he gathered up his winnings._

"_Well there goes my spending money for the rest of the week," complained Kan, a tall and lanky man with unkempt brown hair. He gave his friend one of his infamous lazy smiles before saying, "I hope it goes to good use at least."_

"_Knowing Senji, that's a statistical impossibility," joked Shindo, a shorter man who wore glasses. The three men shared a hearty laughed while Senji simply grinned at them._

"_That's right laugh it up, but who's the one pocketing your money? Oh that's right, me!"_

"_Don't worry about that, with how bad of a gambler you are, we'll win our money back in no time!" said Momoi, a giant of a man who sported a burr cut. "Speaking of which, who's up for another hand?"_

"_Heh, you guys must really think I'm stupid," Senji said as he pushed his chair out from the table and stood-up. "I finally got the best of you bastards! I'm getting out while I'm ahead."_

_A chorus of protest followed the spiky-haired man as he left the poker table and went inside the Garrisons' barracks. It was an extremely nice day, so the four had taken their daily card game outside to enjoy the weather. However, they were all still on duty so before he could take off, Senji would have to get permission from the old man._

_Walking into the headquarters, it didn't take long for Senji to spot his mentor. Amongst the dozen of men simply lazing around, playing games and telling stories to pass the time, he was the only one actually working. All that was visible of Domon was the top of his grey head, the rest of him was hidden behind a report that the sergeant was thoroughly reading over. The veteran looked up from his paper work as he noticed Senji walking past his desk._

"_Hey, old man," the younger man said, not even casting a glance in his superior's direction as headed towards the equipment locker. "I'm going out on patrol."_

"_Humph, that's strange," said Domon. "Here I was thinking that I was in charge around here. Guess I was wrong. Well then, since you're in command now, looks like you'll be doing the paperwork while I play cards all day."_

"_Tsk, fine," Senji muttered with a roll of his eyes before turning to face the gray-haired man. "Sir, permission to go on patrol, sir?"_

_Domon gave his protégé a dismissive wave of his hand as he turned back to the report. Growling his displeasure, Senji turned back to the equipment locker. After a few moments of rummaging around, he was able to find his favorite set of 3D Maneuver Gear and he began the daunting task of getting himself in the damn thing. Several minutes and many curses later, Senji was fully suited up._

"_Damn it, gramps! Why do you make us wear this stupid thing every time!?" demanded the spiky-haired solider. _

"_Protocol, boy," his superior answered without even looking up. "What's the point of patrolling without your gear? If you went out without and ran into trouble, you'd be screwed."_

"_You obviously haven't met my right hook then," Senji said with a smirk._

"_Uh-huh, and you've never met any real trouble," Domon quipped back. "Now get out of here if you're going to go on patrol. Do try and actually make an appearance in some other parts of town besides Hinata's though okay."_

_Senji, known for his overflowing self-confidence and a knack for letting nothing faze him, stiffened like a board when he heard Domon's taunts. The older man let out a chuckle as he noticed the other soldier's reaction. _

"_You didn't really think you could fool us with all that, 'I just happen to pass by there,' bullshit, did you? Use to be we couldn't get you to go out on patrol unless you knew you were going to be able to bust some heads. Now you go out every day. We can put two and two together."_

_The younger Garrison member's face flushed red as he quickly turned away from the sergeant. "It's not like that. I'm just going to see the kids there at the orphanage. Dr. Jaeger was there yesterday and I promised I would come back today to make sure they were okay. Just because Hinata's in charge doesn't mean it's the only reason I go by there every now and then…"_

"_It is part of the reason though," Domon teased. A growl was the only response he got from Senji, so the veteran continued. "You still taking a shot before all the kids to prove it don't hurt?"_

"_Yeah," Senji answered quickly, happy to move past his love life. "Some of them still get nervous about it. _

"_Heh, no matter what all the others say, I know you're really just a big softie, Kiyomasa."_

"_Maybe, but I can still find it in my heart to kick your ass, old man."_

"_I'd like to see you try it, you little punk!" _

_Senji simply shook his head as he walked out of the barracks. That geezer was always going out of his way to poke fun at him. Why was it any of his business what his subordinates were up to anyways? _

_Even though he was still a little steamed by the elder man's teasing, Senji wondered why it had such an effect on him. Normally, insults and taunts just seemed to bounce right off him, but whenever someone brought up Hinata, he would lose all semblance of composure. Could it be that the old man was right? Did he really have feelings for this girl?_

_The man paused as he considered this possibility. Ever since he had first laid eyes on Hinata, there had been…something about her that made Senji want to know her better. It was as if there was a tiny voice in his head commanding him to approach her, to talk to her, to spend time next to her. He couldn't quite figure out what exactly it was about her that seemed to draw him in either. Anytime he attempted to pick out his favorite thing about Hinata, another, even more appealing attribute popped into his head. His mind never seemed to think clearly whenever he thought about her._

_A bigger question though was: why was he so embarrassed whenever someone pointed out his attraction to the girl? Now that Senji thought more on it, you'd have to be a fool not to be! Hinata was attractive, she was sweeter than honey, and she was the kindest, most unselfish person that Senji had ever laid eyes on. She was…perfect. So why was he so afraid of having feelings for her? Was it because he was afraid of what others might think if the tough, badass Senji actually had feelings for someone?_

_Senji snarled as he shook his head and continued with his patrol. Damn what those idiots thought! He had never cared what anyone thought of him his whole life and he sure as hell wasn't going to start too now! _

_Realizing that he had mindlessly made his way into the town's market, Senji remembered that this was his intended destination and he began to look around for the correct stand. It didn't take him long to spot it, and still raging inside, the man stormed over to the stall. The merchant's eyes widened slightly as he saw the angry look on the guard's face and his voice was afflicted with a terrified stammer as he addressed his newest customer. _

"_He…hello there, goo-I mean good-sir. Can I…interest you in one of my wares?"_

"_Yup, give me that toy," said Senji, lifting his hand to point at a small, wooden horse that hung on the wall of the stall._

"_A…a toy?" asked the befuddled vendor, the fear in his voice fading away thanks to the sheer oddity of this intimidating man asking for a child's plaything._

"_Yeah, that wooden horse you got propped up there. I want to buy it."_

"_Aren't you a little old…"_

"_Look, it's for this kid I know alright," Senji said, his voice shrinking to barely above a whisper. "He's been talking about that horse for months now and I've finally got the money to get it for him."_

"_Oh! It's for your son! Of course, I'll get it for you right away." The spiky-haired man simply remained silent as the shopkeeper turned around to fetch the wooden horse. As he was pulling out the money from his poker winnings, another object caught Senji's eyes. Sitting next to his arm on the counter, was a bouquet of red roses. An idea popped into the man's head, and he began to fish out a few extra coins from his pocket as the vendor placed the horse in front of him. _

"_How much for the flowers?" asked Senji._

"_These? They're not really for sale; they just make the place look a bit nicer so I'm sorry but…" the vendor stopped mid-sentence when he saw the venomous look Senji was giving him. "I'll sell them for 10 marks."_

_Nodding to show his compliance, the spiky-haired soldier handed over the money he owed. Taking the horse and placing it underneath his arm, Senji accepted the bundle of flowers with his other. _

"_Thanks, I appreciate it," Senji said before turning and beginning the walk to the orphanage._

"_I hope the miss's likes the flowers, sir!" shouted the merchant after him. _

"_Heh, me and you both," the man said to himself as he left the market square. There was an extra pep in Senji's step today, and he began to whistle a tune as he walked down the road. It had really been his lucky day so far, and he was hoping that would continue when he talked to Hinata. Assuming she had the same feelings for him today would be one of the best days of his life. Nothing could possibly damper Senji's mood now. _

_**BOOOOOMMMMM!**_

_Senji was knocked off his feet as a large explosion suddenly rocked the entire town of Shiganshina to its core. The athletic man let out a groan of pain as he landed on the wooden toy, splintering it into dozens of pieces. A frown formed across the soldiers face as he brushed off the fragments of wood from his jacket and stood up._

"_Damn it," he cursed. "What the hell was that? An explosion?"_

_Looking around, Senji realized that everyone had been staggered by the unforeseen tremor. Casting a glance to his hand, the man was relieved to see that the roses had remained unscathed from his fall. He let out a sigh though as he saw the broken remnants of the toy. Izuru would be disappointed, but Senji still had some money left over from the card game. He would take him out and buy him some candy or something to make it up to him. _

_That was when the soldier noticed something was wrong. It was far too quiet. Normally after an event like that, people would be talking loudly, wondering what had happened or complaining about how the event had ruined one thing or another. Right now, however, it was deathly silent. No one was speaking a word. Glancing around, Senji saw that the dozen other people around him were all looking up and out towards the wall. As the soldier was about to ask the question himself, a small boy with brown hair beat him to the punch._

"_What happened? What are you looking at?"_

_He was about to turn around to comfort the boy, but that's when he caught sight of it. It was just out of the corner of his eye, but it immediately made him stop in his tracks and turn to gawk at it like the rest of the citizens. The spiky-haired man's eyes widened in horror and his jaw dropped as the nightmare of every member of humanity was realized. _

_A single giant-no colossal-fleshy hand was grasping onto the top of the wall as a blood-red skull peered into the village below. _

'_This is it.' Senji thought. 'The Titans have come. It's the end of the world.'_

_Senji was snapped out of his shock when the Colossal Titan hammered its foot into the wall. The roses he held were ripped out if his hands by the hurricane force winds from the Titan's earth shattering kick. Large chunks of the destroyed wall were now crashing down from the sky, leveling homes and crushing humans like ants as they smashed into the town. The worst part about it for the soldier was that he could do nothing to help. People were dying around him and all he could do was stand frozen with horror. Helpless._

_That's when something clicked with-in Senji's head. Pure terror filled his entire being as he turned his gaze in the direction of the orphanage._

"_Hinata…" he said breathlessly. The home she ran was on the outer edge of the city, next to the opening in the wall! _

_Without even a thought to the immense danger he was heading into, Senji ejected the grappling hooks to his 3D Maneuver Gear and shot through the air. As soon as his feet touched down onto a rooftop, the spiky-haired man had launched himself off again, making a beeline towards the orphanage. He moved as fast as he could, knowing he couldn't waste a single second if he were to beat the Titans to Hinata and the kids._

_Even with Senji's natural ability with his equipment, it still took him almost an entire minute to reach his destination. He let out a small sigh of relief as his first glance confirmed that the monsters hadn't made it here yet. However, the man's reprieve of ill fortunate was short lived as he was met by yet another scene from his worst nightmares._

_The orphanage wasn't there. _

_All that remained was a mound of debris, a cracked bell tower resting atop the pile of splintered wood and stone._

_Senji forced back the scream that threatened to tear out of his throat. Overwhelming dread and panic began to take over the man's body as he stared in horror at the wreckage below him. Was he too late? Was fate really this cruel? _

_The soldier shook his head, attempting to regain his composure and forcing the negative thoughts out of his head. They're could be survivors still in the ruins, or kids who were outside when the building had been demolished by the falling debris. Now wasn't the time to shut down, they still needed his help, and Senji wasn't about to let them down._

"_Hinata!" Senji shouted as he leapt down from a rooftop and ran towards the remains of the orphanage. "Hinata! Izuru! Anyone!? Can anyone hear me!?"_

_As his desperate cries rang out over the flattened building, Senji's eyes scanned the rubble for any sign of life. His breathing stopped for a spilt second when he spotted a tiny hand and arm inside of the debris. In a flash, the soldier had slid to his knees in front of the small appendage and was furiously digging through the pile of rubble to get to the child._

"_Hold on kid, I'll get you out!" assured Senji as he clawed through the wreckage. "Don't worry; everything's going to be okay."_

_After a few more moments, the soldier had removed enough of the rubble that he deemed it okay to try and pull the kid out from underneath the debris. Senji glanced over the ruined remains one last time to make sure that they wouldn't suddenly collapse during the attempted rescue. Satisfied that they wouldn't break, the spiky-haired man took the tiny, delicate hand within his own._

"_Alright, I'm going to try and pull you out now. Just try and relax. You'll be out in no time. Okay, I'm going on the count of three. One. Two. Three."_

_Closing his eyes, Senji put in all of his strength into dislodging the child out of the crevice it was trapped under. He ceased his pulling though when his ears were filled with a sickening, ripping sound coming from where he was tugging. _

"_Hey, kid, are you o…"_

_Senji's words died in his throat as his eyes were met only by the blood soaked, severed arm he now held in his hands._

_The man let out a yelp of fright as he dropped the bloody limb and quickly crab-crawled away from the wreckage. Almost instantaneously, nausea overwhelmed and Senji was forced to vomit up the content of his stomach as the repugnant smell of decaying flesh hit him like a tidal wave. As he raised his head back up, still coughing and gagging, the soldier gnashed his teeth together in frustration. Even though it was so horrible and so repulsive to behold, Senji couldn't take his eyes off of the last remnant of what once a child. A child he had known. A child he had failed. _

_It wasn't fair. Why? Why was this happening? What had they done to deserve this? To be squashed like insects. No one deserved that…much less kids. _

_Shock and dismay had completely taken hold of Senji now. He wanted to run away, to get as far away from this nightmare as he could. Yet, every time he attempted to raise his legs, to lift himself up, his body refused his commands. His muscles were locked into place, keeping him trapped in a quagmire of hopelessness and dismay._

"_Senji…"_

_Outside of his dazed mind, Senji heard a soft voice calling his name. It sounded familiar…_

"_Senji! Is that you?"_

_It was so unfitting for this terrible scene, and this led the soldier to dismiss at first as a figment of his shell-shocked imagination. Of course he would want to believe there might be some sort of saving grace amongst all this desolation. That just wasn't the world though. Angels didn't exist within nightmares._

"_Senji! Oh thank god you're okay! What are you doing here?"_

_Wait…_

"_Hinata?"_

_Turning to look in the direction of the angelic voice, Senji's heart skipped a beat when he saw Hinata, Izuru, and two of the other children standing a few yards away. Immediately upon seeing this, the spiky-haired man was released from the shackles of anguish that had held him down. He immediately leapt up and sprinted towards the survivors, wrapping them all in a giant bear hug as tears of joy stung the corner of his eyes._

"_Hinata! Izuru! Sven! Sara! I'm so glad you're alright!" Senji shouted._

"_Mr. Senji, you're crushing us!" complained Izuru, a small boy of about nine with messy, brown hair. _

"_Oh, sorry," the soldier said, now that the initial joy was wearing off, he regained his senses and the gravity of the situation. Putting the group back onto the ground, he quickly turned to face Hinata. _

"_You have to get out of here right now! The Titans have breached the wall! You and the kids need to get to the Wall Maria gate and take the boats all the way to inside of Wall Rose."_

_The children began to mumble amongst themselves as Hinata's normally kind, brown eyes filled with fear. "What about you, Senji? Don't tell me you're going to stay behind!"_

"_Don't worry, I'll be with you all the way to the boats," Senji assured her. "I'll make sure you and the kids get on, no matter what. Now let's go! We don't have any time to spare!" _

_Hinata nodded her understanding before turning towards the children and with only a few words, explained the plan. Senji had to give the little ones credit, even though they were completely terrified, he could see the resolve in their eyes. They wanted to cry, but they knew that wouldn't help them now. There would be plenty of time for tears once they had reached safety. _

_After explaining to the children the need to hurry, Hinata took Sara-a small, five year old girl-into her arms. Knowing that they would move faster if they carried the children, Senji scooped up both of the boys underneath his own arms and then with a nod, the pair began on a dead sprint up the dirt road. Senji made sure to stay behind the short-haired woman, even though he could have run faster. There was no way he was going to leave her behind now. _

_For almost a whole minute, the group ran into no trouble, but with every step they took, Senji knew they were getting closer and closer to danger. The cries of agony and horror were growing ever louder in his ears, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they would inevitably run across a Titan. _

_Senji's fears were realized when they rounded a corner, and he heard Hinata let out a scream of pure terror. The man's heart nearly leapt out of his chest, believing that she had been caught by a Titan. Sprinting around the corner, the spiky-haired soldier was relieved to find that the caretaker was fine, but she had been frozen by the horrible scene before them. _

_Standing in the small square, not a hundred feet away, was a Titan. Senji had seen Titans before when standing atop the wall, but that had been from 50 meters above them. From that height, he had never really been intimidated by them. He had always viewed them as stupid, mindless, creatures that were more laughable than frightening. _

_Now that he stood so close to one though, he was able to fully comprehend how terrifying these monsters really were. Everything about it had every muscle of Senji's body paralyzed with fear. How it towered over 10 meters high, making the man realize just how small and helpless he really was compared to a Titan. How its soulless eyes just stared at you, sizing you up like a piece of meat. How its mouth was formed into an everlasting, terrifying, grin. This allowed the dozens of dagger-like teeth, capable of ripping through your skin in a heartbeat, to be on full display to its victim. How no matter how much you wanted to scream and run away, something about it seemed to hold you in place, unable to escape from the man-eating beast._

_Senji gnashed his teeth together, forcing himself out of the paralyzing fear the Titan had cast on him. He couldn't freeze up now. Hinata and the kids were counting on him! This was no time for him to be wetting himself like some spineless coward! Anybody could feel fear; it was an instinct all humans were programmed with. What made a man a REAL man was feeling that fear, accepting it, then rising up above and conquering it. That's what truly made someone brave or courageous or tough. His entire life, Senji had prided himself on being a "badass". Nothing ever seemed to faze or frighten him. Now it was time to really live up to that label. _

_Setting down the two boys he held, the spiky-haired warrior curtly said, "Hinata, you and the kids need to take the other way. Stick to the back roads and the edge of town. I'll meet back up with you all in a second."_

"_Senji, I…"_

"_Go!" he bellowed "There's no time! Don't worry I'll be fine. You don't think just one of these ugly bastards is enough to take me out do you?"_

_Hinata was brought out of her shock by the man's shouts. A small smile formed across her face as tears began to stream down her cheeks. Leaning forward, she caught Senji by complete surprise as she pressed her lips against his. The hardened man's eyes widened in shock as he felt her warmth and an unexpected shot of elation was injected into his heart, even in this bleak hour._

"_There," the brown-haired woman said as she pulled away from him. "Now you have to come back so we can talk about what just happened."_

"_Uh-huh," mumbled a stunned Senji. Without another word, Hinata turned her back to him and ran towards the back-street they would have to now take. A stream of tears trailed after her as she and the kids disappeared down the alleyway. _

_The spiky-haired man lightly brushed his fingers against his own lips. It was the exact opposite of what he had always imagined their first kiss being like, but considering he might be eaten alive in the next minute or so, Senji would take it. _

_A loud thud shook the soldier out of his day-dream. Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Senji saw that the Titan had taken a single step forward towards him. The giant's eyes were still locked onto him with that same, lifeless stare. However, now it didn't inspire the same sort of fear as before. In fact, the man was even able to summon up a smirk to shot the Titan's way as he said._

"_What the hell are you starin' at? Never seen people kiss before? I guess not, don't imagine many people wanting to line up to smooch ya with that ugly mug."_

_Almost as if in response to the man's taunts, the Titan lunged forward into action. Its arms were outstretched and it tried to catch Senji between its palms. The soldier was too quick for the giant though, and he was able to easily evade the clumsy attack by zipping over to a nearby roof. _

"_Oh, I guess we started," Senji muttered as he unsheathed his blades and took aim at the Titan's exposed neck. The colossal oaf had stumbled slightly during its lunge, so now the monster's only weak-spot was vulnerable to attack. After picking the best trajectory for his assault, the soldier used his 3D Maneuver Gear to shot forward like a racing bullet. Bringing back his arms so that they were drawn completely overhead, Senji let out a vicious war cry as he brought down his blades against the nape of the Titan's neck. _

_The naked steel cut through the giant's soft muscle like butter, but just as the blades were about to reach the kill spot, the Titan suddenly jerked up. This sudden movement forced Senji cease his attack and yank his swords out of the Titan's neck or risk losing them completely. There was no telling how many of these monsters he might have to face today, so every set of blades counted. He couldn't afford to lose any inside of a Titan because of a rookie mistake. As he pulled his swords free, the soldier's gear forced him to continue on his trajectory, propelling him away from his enemy and onto another roof across the square. _

"_Tsk, damn it! I didn't cut deep enough," Senji said with disgust. A slight twinge of pain shot up the man's arm and the man noticed that steam was now beginning to rise into his line of sight. Looking down, he discovered that his swords were now emitting vapor like crazy from being covered with the Titan's blood. A small amount had even gotten onto his hand, causing the flesh under it to burn slightly. With a small grunt of annoyance, Senji flung the crimson liquid off his hand before looking back towards his mammoth-sized foe._

_Senji's eyes widened with fear as the only sight he was met with was the huge, open mouth of the Titan about to clamp down on him. _

_At the very last second, Senji was able to leap backwards and narrowly avoid the Titan's deadly bite. The roof he had just been standing on only moments before was ripped through like it was made out paper by the giant's powerful jaws. In order to put some distance between him and the Titan, Senji quickly shot his grappling hooks and rocketed to the other side of the plaza. The velocity of his landing was great that his boots kicked up the tiles on the roof and sent them crashing to the ground. _

_Letting out the breath he had been holding onto, Senji mentally berated himself. He should have known better than to let his guard down around his enemy! That was Combat 101 and it applied to any opponent, especially against a Titan. One slip up and he would end up as the monster's dinner. Not to mention, the longer the fight what on the more likely it was that he would be caught by the Titan. Senji knew he needed to end this battle soon. _

_Determined to fell the Titan with this pass, the spiky-haired soldier sprang into action. He altered his flight path so that he would whip around to end up behind the monster's neck this time instead of charging straight for it. This turned out to be a poor strategy, for as he was attempting to sling shot himself towards the giant, the Titan reached out with one paw and batted him out of the sky. _

_A wave of pain coursed through Senji's body as he was knocked out of the air and sent spiraling into one of the nearby houses. He crashed through the wooden roof and landed awkwardly onto a kitchen table, shattering it into pieces in the process. Every single muscle in his body seemed to be crying out in agony as he attempted to lift himself up. A severe shock of pain immediately put him back down and Senji gingerly touched his side, the origin point of the soreness. His hand immediately recoiled away after another intense wave of discomfort shot through him. _

_Yup, it was official. He had a couple of broken ribs._

_The bad news just continued to pile on, as the Titan's massive head peered through the hole in the roof. All that was visible through the gap was one of the giant's eyes, but Senji realized that wouldn't be all that he would be able to see soon. Soon or later, the Titan would jam its hand inside the house, snatch him, and then devour him. Since he was adamantly opposed to that occurring, the soldier knew he had to quickly get out of the house. Unfortunately, there was currently only one exit available to him. In a spilt second, a crazy and stupid plan flashed before his eyes. It was sort of an all or nothing deal. Either this idea would allow him to escape and kill the Titan, or it would get him killed faster than standing in front of a firing canon. Whelp…there was only one way to find out._

_Steeling his nerves, Senji fired his grappling hooks in the only direction he could. Directly into the Titan's eye. _

_The Titan roared in agony, jerking away from the hole in the roof as the hook pierced its eye. Thanks to this involuntary action by the giant, Senji wasn't just zipped straight into the Titan's face, but instead of thrown higher into the air by the monster throwing its head back in pain. When he felt the wire beginning to pull him back down towards the Titan, Senji detached the hook and allowed gravity to bring him back to earth. Since he wasn't connected to anything, the spiky-haired warrior was able to direct his body so he would fall behind the Titan's head instead of in front of it. As he fell, Senji began to twirl his body in order to get even more momentum for his swords, which now appeared like a deadly spinning top. _

_He fell upon the Titan like a dive-bombing crow. His blades sliced through the giant with hardly resistance at all, the added power from the momentum of his spinning and fall making sort work of his target. Not just the nape of the neck, but a slab of the entire monster's neck, was severed by Senji's master strike, slaying the Titan instantly. After the killing blow was delivered, the soldier braced himself before kicking off his enemy's body, propelling his body to land on a nearby roof. The man simply tumbled onto the shingles, unable to make a smooth landing because of his injuries. At the same time, the Titan's carcass crashed to the ground causing a large boom to echo throughout the plaza. _

_It was over. _

_A groan escaped from Senji as he pushed himself onto his knees and from there to his feet. Though his side was still throbbing, the rush of adrenaline from the fight was helping to hold back the pain. Besides, he couldn't let a few broken ribs stop him now. He had killed a Titan after all! It shouldn't be any harder to just move around the city! _

_Gnashing his teeth together in an attempt to block out his the pangs in his side, Senji fired his grappling hooks and began to make his way towards Wall Maria. He tried to keep to the path that he instructed Hinata to take, closer to the outskirts of the city where it would take the Titans longer to reach. As he shot from building to building, the man made sure to constantly scan his surroundings for Hinata and the kids, but also for any Titans that might be on the prowl. He needed to make sure the area was safe for them to pass through. It wouldn't do any good to get all the way to the gate only to be surrounded by Titans after all. _

_As Senji continued to search for Hinata, he couldn't help but notice that the screams of terror were getting louder and louder around him. Risking a glance over his shoulder, the man saw that almost the entire front half of the town was now teeming with Titans. It wouldn't take long for the rest of Shiganshina to completely overrun. He needed to find Hinata and the kids quickly if they were going to escape this living nightmare._

_Looking back up, Senji was forced to come to a grinding halt as he spotted a large group of Titans only a few blocks ahead of him. There were five in total: a small one that only stood about 4 meters tall whose head made up about half of that height, three of your standard sized Titans which were like the one Senji had fought earlier, and finally a 15 meter Titan which towered above the city and its peers. The pack of giants weren't aware of the soldier yet, and Senji's face contorted into a grimace when he realized it was because they were too busy feeding to pay attention to the newcomer. _

_Blood splattered into the air like a downpour of rain as the gang of Titans chomped into their prey. A wave of nausea swept over Senji as he looked at the biggest one's face. Crimson liquid gushed out of the beast's mouth, spilling out onto its face and staining it with the blood of its victim. The giant wasn't even bothering to hold onto the poor soul it was devouring any longer, simply allowing the lifeless body to dangle over the edge of its mouth. _

_No matter how much his brain told him not to, Senji couldn't help but look at the Titan's victim. It was a strange, morbid fascination but for some reason his eyes seemed to be drawn to the corpse hanging from the monster's mouth. Telling from the blood-soaked garb it wore, only a few moments ago it had been a woman. Her short, brown hair was now caked with mud and gore and her thin face was frozen in an expression of pure terror. There seemed to be an air of familiarity around the girl and even though her brown eyes were now cold and lifeless, Senji couldn't help but feel that this picture was horribly wrong. Something was telling him that those eyes were met to appear as warm, kind, comforting. Just like…_

…

_Every nerve in Senji's body seemed to die at the same time as he watched another spray of red liquid fill the sky and the horrible sound of his failure rang in his ears as the Titan took another bite out of…_

_**crunch**_

_Senji's muscles failed him, causing him to fall to his knees and his blades dropped with a clatter at his side as the life left his own eyes as he stared into the dead, hollow eyes of…_

_**Crunch **_

_His mind completely shut down, unable to cope with the heinous sight before him. All sense of feeling completely left him, only leaving soul-crushing despair that pressed down upon him like the weight of the world as he watched the Titan begin to suck down…_

_**CRUNCH**_

_With a flood of tears now flowing down his face freely, Senji feebly raised his arm in a desperate attempt to grab hold of the woman before she disappeared within the Titan's gullet forever. The emasculate effort was in vain though as the corpse began to slid down the giant's tongue, disappearing just slowly enough so that Senji could witness her horrified face disappearing into darkness for an eternity as he stood by incapable of saving…_

…

"_Hinata…" whispered a helpless, horrified, shell-shocked, and defeated Senji._

_The Titan's mouth closed with a loud snap, followed by the disgusting sound of the giant forcing down his meal with a gulp. Senji's empty eyes traced the large bulge in the monster's throat as it went ever downward, before finally sliding completely into the beast's belly. As the last remnant of Hinata disappeared from the world, Senji could no longer hold it all in._

"_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

_The soldier's howl of agony echoed throughout the entire city as Senji attempted to let all of the horror, anger, sorrow, and despair he was feeling one, climatic moment. His lungs threatened to burst as he continued screaming into the heavens, drawing the attention and ire of the gang of Titans in front of him. Even though the blood of Senji's loved ones was still wet against their skin, their never-ending hunger drove them towards the wailing man. _

_Through his blurry vision, Senji noticed the approaching horde of Titans. His bellowing ceased as the spiky-haired man's face contorted into one of loathing hatred. An uncontrollable rage possessed the warrior as he leapt to his feet and yelled at the giants._

"_YOU WANT ME TOO BASTARDS! IS THAT IT!? WELL THEN, COME AND GET SOME!"_

_Launching himself forward with his gear, Senji raced towards the Titans. The soldier had fallen into madness, the need to charge the monsters that had stolen Hinata, Izuru, and the others away from him being the only thought in his mind. Nothing else mattered. It didn't matter that he would surely die from facing five titans alone. It didn't matter that even if he killed these Titans, there was an endless army of giants that would take their place. It didn't matter that no amount of violence and death would ever bring back Hinata. Hell, it didn't even matter that he had dropped his swords and was flying into battle weaponless. No, none of that mattered. Not one bit. All that mattered was that one way or another, it was all going to be over soon…_

_As he flew through the air and towards his death, Senji thought he could hear a voice calling out to him. At first, he thought it was the gentle voice of Hinata beckoning him to join her. However, he soon realized that wasn't the case when he finally heard the words being said by the gruff voice, which had gone from a distant whisper to an angry roar in single second. _

"_what…the hell Do You THINK YOU'RE DOING!"_

_Turning his head of the voice's direction, Senji was only able to catch a tuft of gray hair before he was slammed into mid-flight. The spiky-haired man let out a groan of surprise as a set of arms suddenly wrapped around him, pulling him off his collision course with death and spiriting him away from the Titan horde. Within a few seconds, Senji had been dragged completely out of the danger zone and was being thrown roughly onto the roof of a building hundreds of meters away. _

"_Have you gone insane!?" Wiping away the last remnants of his tears, Senji was shocked to see the angry face of Domon bearing down on him. "I always knew you were a moron, but I didn't believe you were that stupid! For god's sake, son, you didn't have your blades out!"_

"_Let me go old man!" Senji screamed back after recovering from his initial shock. "Those sons of bitches killed Hinata! They have to pay!"_

_The enraged soldier attempted to get up, but he was instantaneously kicked and pinned back down to the rooftop courtesy of Domon's boot. _

"_Like hell I'm going to let you go!" the older man shouted back. "I'm not about to watch yourself get killed. There are still people trapped in the city, being slaughtered like cattle by the Titans and you want to abandon your post just so you can escape the pain you're feeling. Well tough luck, because when you put that uniform on you gave up the right to quit on life! It's your god-damned duty to save as many lives as physically possible and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow you to not uphold it!"_

"_But sir, what's the point!?" yelled a distraught Senji, tears beginning to stream down his face again. "They're all dead sir! Hinata. Izuru. Sven. Sara. They're all dead and it's because I failed them! I couldn't protect them and now they're dead…What good am to you now? I can't save anyone…"_

"_The point is that this is what they would want from you, Senji," said Domon, his voice softening as he removed his boot from the other man's chest. "Hinata and those kids looked up to you because you were a strong, caring man. They thought you were a hero. Someone who would also fight the good fight and always persevere no matter what horrors tried to beat you down. The way you're acting now is spitting on their memory. They wouldn't want you to give up. They would want you to keep on fighting and being the hero they believed in. I'm not saying you shouldn't mourn their deaths, or grieve your loss. No, that's necessary; it's something we'll all need to do by the day's end. But for now, you need to honor their memory by being strong. Put aside your sorrow for now, and help the lives you can still save instead of killing yourself over the ones you couldn't."_

_Senji sat in silence as he allowed his mentor's words to wash over him. His mindless rage was beginning to subside and reason returned to him. The old man was right. Hinata wouldn't want him to throw his life away. She treasured life above all else, that's why she took in every stray kid she found. Nothing would upset her more than Senji trying to callously throw his own away. Shame set into the man's heart, but alongside it, a conviction was born. Never again was he going to fail someone like he had failed Hinata and the kids. _

_Lifting his arm up, Senji wiped away the last of his tears. Opening his eyes, the man was surprised to see his sergeant's hand extended towards him. Giving the man a nod of thanks, the spiky-haired soldier took his mentors hand and lifted himself onto his feet. _

_Domon didn't ask for assurances that his comrade was okay or if he was alright now. There was no need. Everything he needed to know was there to see within Senji's eyes. Where moments before there had been nothing but mindless fury in his grey eyes, now there was just steely resolve. Satisfied that the boy's senses had returned to him, Domon clapped him on the shoulder before saying._

"_Alright, let's get going. Everyone's waiting for us."_

"_Sir."_

_Turning back around, the grey-haired man saw that Senji's gaze was locked onto the wave of Titans that were pouring into the city. A burning flame of hatred sprung to life within the spiky-haired soldier's eye and for a second, Domon feared his protégé was about to charge back into battle. Instead, Senji remained still as a statue as he said in a low voice._

"_They need to pay. They have to pay for what they did."_

_The older man was silent for a moment before answering. "They'll get what's comin' to em', Senji. Don't worry about that. I promise son, one day we'll strike back against these giant bastards and pay them back tenfold for all the suffering they've put us through. Unfortunately, today's not that day. Today, we have a different job to do."_

_After finishing his small speech, Domon shot his grappling hooks and sped away from the rooftop. For a spilt second, Senji didn't follow him and continued to stare at the hated army from humanity's army. The man's nails dug into the flesh of his palm as he attempted to store all of the hate he felt at that moment, attempting to preserve it for the day when he struck back at the Titan Invasion._

"_One day…" Senji muttered before launching his own hooks and racing after his mentor. _

Senji's nails once again tore into his palm, drawing blood as his one good eye stared down at the shredded carcass of the Titan he had just slain. His Crow's Claws gleamed wickedly as a small smirk spread across his face.

"Today's the day, old man," he said to himself. "It's finally here…the time for me to strike back."

**Thanks for reading! Wow, I have to admit, when I started writing this chapter I didn't think that Senji's flashback would grow to what it did, but I'm glad it did. It's important for establishing his character and the beginning of one of the major storylines so even though it grew to be the whole chapter, I think it fits nicely and hopefully it will help all of the Attack on Titan only readers to get a better feel and connection for Senji's character. He's one of my favorite characters in all of anime/manga, and I really hope I was able to do him justice here. A quick-shot out goes to Roseblade22 again, this time for directly inspiring one of Senji's torment scenes (psst, it was the arm one). She sent me a scene awhile back from her AoT one-shot called **_**In the Absence of Light**_** (go check it out, it's really good!) and when I was writing this it just popped onto my head and I could have sworn it was canon. She was nice enough to let me use it here and for that I'm very thankful! Well, that's it for my rambling, see you guys next time! **


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